Request from christwei451 over on Tumblr.

In-Between

The world was shifting in and out of focus, but the one constant was that everything hurt. This was what death must feel like, Jacob decided. The slipping without quite losing awareness and the sensation that he could feel every tear the bullets made through him. She had shot him. Not once, but three times. He supposed he deserved it. He'd been the one to take the safety off when he'd seen Reddington there. It had seemed like such a necessary step at the time. He hadn't expected Liz to turn the gun on him.

"Tom? Tom, open your eyes."

Jacob groaned and instantly realized that the pain had been dulled as it came crashing over him. He choked on a pained noise, tasting blood in the back of his throat, and Liz came slowly into focus.

"Okay, we don't have much time. I have to get you up, but I need your help."

He blinked at her. "What?"

Liz already had one of his arms around her shoulder from where she was squatted next to him and all at once he realized what she was doing. "No," he gasped, everything hurting. "Please, Lizzy."

Her determined expression softened a little as she wrapped an arm around his back for support. He hissed as she pressed against an exit wound and she shifted her grip. "I'm not going to let you die here."

"'m already dead," he managed, and it was close to the truth. He was losing too much blood too quickly. As many holes as she had put in him, he wasn't surprised.

"No you're not," Liz growled. "You are the most stubborn man I know. Was that a lie too? Fight, dammit!"

Jacob managed a strangled yelp as she hauled him up and he sagged against her, somehow managing to stand with her help. He felt sick and shadows crept into his vision. "You said... You told Reddington you were going to finish it," he managed.

"Stop talking. You need to focus on staying conscious."

He grit his teeth, forcing one foot in front of the other until they were halfway down the hall. "Liz? Lizzy, stop I can't," he gasped out and he listed painfully to his left and into the wall.

She kept him upright. "Just a second though," she said sternly. "And stop calling me that."

He blinked at her, trying to clear his vision. He felt like someone had stuffed cotton down his throat and the question was lost to it.

"Lizzy," his wife snapped. "You don't... Don't call me that."

"Sorry," he managed and he saw something like regret in her eyes. He felt it too. He'd hurt her so badly, and that had never been the goal. He had never wanted to see her hurt. "Sorry," he said again. "I'm sorry."

"You said that. Just don't call me that. My father and my husband are the only ones... Just don't."

Jacob closed his eyes and loosed a small breath, sliding a little down the wall. Couldn't she just let him die? He could feel himself inching closer as he bled out. He didn't think the damage itself would be what got him. It was the blood loss.

"Tom?"

"Just go, Liz," he breathed out. "It's not your fault. Just go."

She tightened her grip on him and pulled him away from the wall, not giving him a choice but to follow. "Should have gone to Nebraska," he whispered.

"Yeah, and what would that have changed?" Her voice wasn't quite as sharp as he had thought it would be.

"Been happy," he answered. "No Berlin. No Reddington. Just us. Would have..."

"Tom, stay with me."

"'m here," he promised.

"The car's right outside the door. You're not going to die, do you hear me? I'm not going to let you."

"Why?" He risked a look at her and saw conflict in her eyes. All he wanted to do was reach out and hold her. He wanted to protect her from all of this. Everything Reddington had done, that Berlin had done, that he had done to her.

"Because you have information I need," she answered softly. She opened the door and late afternoon light flooded in, half blinding him and he sagged against her. He would try to hang on. He wasn't sure what was ahead, but he would try. Liz was asking him to, and after everything he owed her that much.

Notes: I'm still taking requests. I have a few more in my queue but if you want to see something specific, let me know. I'll see if the plot bunny bites :)